Road marker



April 20 1926.

J. R. OBRIEN ROAD MARKER Filed Sept. 10

, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Illllllllllllllllllllllllllll||lllllllllllllllllilllllllll "iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii llllllllllllllhl Filed Sept 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ef 7y %r J P497110 276 3 April 20,1926.

Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

JAMES RAYMOND O'BRIEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROAD MARKER.

Application filed September 10, 1925. Serial No. 55,455.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES RAYMOND OBRIEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,

*residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Road Markers, of whichthe following 1s a specification.

This invention'relates to improvements in -markers, particularlyadapted, though not necessarily limited in its use, in connection withvehicle traflic, and one of the objects of the invention is to providean improved marker comprising a block or element having a flat surfacewith aletter or character thereon, a plurality of the blocks or elementsbeing adapted to be placed in the pavement in proximity to each otherand at or adjacent a crossing or intersection of streets or roads, sothat the tops of the elements will be flush with the top of the pavementand will be clearly visible to the operator or driver of the vehicle andat the same time the marker will not form an bstruction to, orprojection above the pave-" a construction that any one or more of theelements may be readily removed to permit renewal or replacement whenworn or when desired.-

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the featuresofnovelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangementof the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and asshown in t e accompanying drawings illustrat-ing th invention and inwhich draw- Figure 1, is a top plan view illustrating intersectingstreet or. road ways having several of the markers, constructed inaccordance with the principles-of this invention in place in thepavement.

Figure 2, is an enlarged top plan view of one of the markers and aportion of the pavement.

Figure 3, is a vertical sectional view on line 3-3 Figure 2. a

Figure 4, is a view similar to Figure 3 of another form of element andanchoring means therefor.

Figure 5, is a view similar to Figure?) of another form of element andanchoring means therefor.

Figure 6, is a top plan view similar to Figure 2 of another form of theinvention.

Figure 7, is a vertical sectional view on line 77 Figure 6.

Figure 8, is a perspective viewof a detailed portion of the anchoringmeans shown in Figure 7.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and to the form of theinvention shown in Figures 1 to 3, the numeral 10 designates generally ablock or element of any desiredsize and configuration and constructed ofany suitable material, preferably hard rubber or composition, a portion11 of the element being preferably of a color contrasting with the colorof the remaining portion of the element and being shaped to form ordelineate a character or letter, the top of the character being flushwith the top of the element and the entire upper surface of the elementbeing preferably substantially flat.

Theelement thus formed may be produced in any suitable manner and is ofa material which will withstand considerable wear.

Secured to thebottom of the element in any desired or suitable manner isan anchor plate or member 12 which is also constructed of any suitablematerial preferably of metal and is of a diameter considerablygreaterthan the exterior diameter of the element 10 to foi'm-.-laterallyprojecting flanges disposed a considerable distance below the top of theelement'to form a base therefor and which flanges are continuousthroughout the length of the respective adjacent upright surfaces of theblock.

Anchor bolts 13 may be provided which extend through suitable openingsin the base plate .12 to be embedded in the pavement,

and if desired transverse members such as pins or the like 14 may extendthrough the bolts 13 and assist in anchoring the marker element.

\Vhen this improved marker is to be in with the top of the element 10and closely encompassing the element so that the latter will be firmlyset or embedded in the pave-- ment, whereby the element-will not only beprevented from accidental displacement but the edges and sides thereofwill be protected against damage and against crumbling.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4, the element 16 is of thesame general construction as the element 10 with the exception that theperipheral walls 17 of the element are inclined or beveled downwardlyand inwardly from the top surface of the element so that the adjacentportion of the pavement 15 will co-operate with the inclined walls ofthe element to form a looking or additional anchoring means for theelement.

In Figure 5 the element 18 is also of the same general construction asthe element 10 with the exception that the peripheral walls of theelement 18 areinclined or'beveled downwardly and outwardly from theupper to the lower surface of the element to produce an additionalanchorage or locking means for the element.

Obviously any form and number of an choring bolts suitable forthe-purpose may be employed in connection with the anchoring plate 12.

' In the form of the invention shown in Figures 6 to 8 the body of theelement 19 is the element 19 is constructed will then fill the opening22 in the plate 20 and the lugs will be firmly seated within the body ofthe element. v a Q T pl te 2 i of d me s; on d a y greater than theexterior diameter of the element 19 to form a laterally projectingcircumferential flange encompassing the element and upon which flangethe pavement or surface 23 will rest. 1

The periphery of the element 19 is provided with a circumferentialgroove or recess 24: intermediate and spaced from the top and bottom ofthe element and opens outwardlw to receive a portion of the pavement orsurface 23 as at 25, with the result that a key like locking portionwill be produced which extends into the element 19 and assists insecuring or anchoring the element in position.

' Anchoring bolts 26 may also be provided which pass through the plate20 and may be provided with split ends 27, and a block or wedge 28 mayalso be provided and so positioned that when the bolts 26 are placed inposition and the split ends forced over the block 28 the split ends willspread and will assist in anchoring the bolts.

By the provision of the laterally projecting flangeswhich are continuousthroughout the length of the adjacent upright faces of the block andupon which flanges the pavement rests, there will be provided meanswhereby the block will be anchored for yielding movement with thepavement. That is to say, when the pavement yields under the weight of aload, especially in warm weather, the pressure of the pavement upon theanchor-plate will cause the block to be depressed with the pav'ement, tomaintain the upper face of the block at all times substantially flushwith the upper surface of the pavement and as the pavement rises whenthe load is relieved therefrom the block and plate will also rise.Furthermore by providing flanges which are continuous throughout thelength of the adjacent upright faces of the block, the block will bemaintained against the tendency of a tilting action when a weight, suchas of a heavy vehicle, strikes one end or margin of the top of theblock. With this improved construction it will be manifest that anextremely eflicient and durable marker will be rovided and when inposition may be readi y seen by the operator of a vehicle and will be ina osition not to form a projection or obstruction projecting above thepavement.

Furthermore the marker elements being separate may be readily removedand when in position will be protected and firmly an-- chored andembedded in the pavement.

While the preferred forms of the invention have been herein specificallydescribed it is to be understood that various changes ma be made in thedetails of construction an in the combination and arrangement of theseveral parts, within the SCOPE/Of the claims, without departing fromthe spirit t h s i en n,

What is claimed as new is:

1. A road marker embodying a block like body portion, the upper surfacethereof being substantially fiat, and an anchor plate upon which theblock rests, the lower face of the block and the saidplate being securedtogether, the said plate projecting beyond the block to form flangescontinuous throughout the length of the respective adjacent uprightsurfaces of the block, said block being adapted to be embedded in thepavement so that the pavement will rest upon the said flanges andthereby anchor the block for yielding movement with the pavement, thetop of the said block being normally flush with the upper surface of theadjacent portion of the pavement.

2. A road marker embodying a block like body portion, the upper surfacethereof being substantially flat, an anchor plate upon which the blockrests, the lower face of the block and the said plate being securedtogether, the said plate projecting beyond the block to form flangescontinuous throughout the length of the respective adj acent uprightsurfaces of the block, said block bemg adapted to be embedded in thepavement so that the pavement will rest upon the said flan es andthereby anchor the block for yielding movement with the pavement, thetop of the said block being normally flush with the upper surface of theadjacent portion of the pavement, and anchor bolts connected with thesaid anchor plate and depending therebelow.-

3. A road marker embodying a block like body ortion, the upper surfacethereof being su bstantially flat, an anchor plate upon .,adjacentportion of the which the block rests, the lower face of the block andthe said plate being secured together, and interlocking meansbetween'the said plate and the said block, the said plate projectingbeyond the block to form flanges continuous throughout the length of therespective adjacent upright faces of the block, said block being adaptedto be embedded in the pavement so that the pavement will rest upon thesaid flanges and thereby anchor the block for yielding movement with thepavement, the 'top of the said block being normally flush with the uppersurface of the avement.

at. A road marker em odying a resilient block-like body portion, theupper surface thereof being substantially flat, and an anchor plate of adifferent and non-resilient material upon which the block rests, thelower face of the block and the said plate being firmly secured togetherto constitute an integral structure, the said plate projecting beyondthe block to form flanges continuous throughout the length of therespective adjacent upright surfaces of the block, said block and plateadapted to be embedded in the pavement so that the pavement will restupon the said flanges and thereby anchor the block for yielding movementwith the pavement, the top of the said block being maintainedsubstantially flush with the surface of the adjacent portion of thepavement.

In testimony whereof I have signed In name to this specification, onthis 20th day of August, A. D. 1925.

J. RAYMOND OBRIEN.

